Level Up (A5E) Which Comabt Traditions should an A5e Hexblade have access to?

[xiphumor]

I’d love to make spellcaster archetypes with limited maneuvers capabilities, similar to how the Wildborn Ranger has limited spellcasting. In particular, the Druid and the Warlock stand out to me as well-suited to have such archetypes. Besides, A5e needs its own take on the old Warlock classic, the Hexblade!

It seems that each archetype should have no more than three traditions. Druids clearly need Tooth and Claw, and then probably Spirited Steed and Rapid Current. However, I’m a little less clear on which three traditions are the most Warlock-esque, and I’d like to poll the crowd.

 

[WarDriveWorley]

Given the fact Hexblades tend to focus one weapon I say Unending Wheel for the weapon mastery aspect, but maybe a 2nd choice from any tradition

 

[xiphumor]

I agree that Unending Wheel is a strong contender, although I would also point to the anti-magic tactics of Tempered Iron as being very appropriate.

 

[Steampunkette]

I picked four.

Mist and Shade, Rapid Current, Tempered Iron, and Unending Wheel.

Mist and Shade both for the reactive strike on Counterspelling and the idea of stealing someone's spell components while they try to cast spells. It also gives them Armor Lock to use against heavily armored Witch Hunters who come after them.

Rapid Current because it can be used to run away or escape from danger, quickly. And as cool as hexblades are, I like my warlocks a little cowardly.

Tempered Iron purely for the antimagic shutdown functions. Very much the "I've turned against my patron and will defeat anything he sends after me"

Unending Wheel for the complete focus on your Pact Weapon/Hexblade itself.

 

[WarDriveWorley]

I agree that Unending Wheel is a strong contender, although I would also point to the anti-magic tactics of Tempered Iron as being very appropriate.

It is, but given how flexible Hexblade builds can be it's easy to fit any of the traditions

 

[xiphumor]

I’m coming around to the idea that both “War Beast” Druids and Hexblades could be built as Mandatory Tradition + Optional Tradition, with Unending Wheel for Hexblades and Tooth and Claw for War Beasts.

 

[Steampunkette]

I’m coming around to the idea that both “War Beast” Druids and Hexblades could be built as Mandatory Tradition + Optional Tradition, with Unending Wheel for Hexblades and Tooth and Claw for War Beasts.

What if there was a Combat Tradition explicitly, specifically, made for Warlocks by it's designer to be a quasi-magic fighting style reliant on dark magics?

 

[xiphumor]

What if there was a Combat Tradition explicitly, specifically, made for Warlocks by it's designer to be a quasi-magic fighting style reliant on dark magics?

That would be very cool, although my biggest issue is that I want to take a stab at designing this archetype, and I didn't design the a5e Warlock

If that was going to be the case, I would still want Warlocks to have access to at least one other tradition for the sake of versatility. Yet at the same time, it would feel kind of odd to give an archetype its own tradition with no other way to access it other than taking this one archetype. I think I would rather have the archetype features interact with the maneuvers in unique ways that give them that dark magic vibe. The O5e Arcane Trickster's bonuses to Mage Hand are a fun example going in the opposite direction.

 

[Anselm]

That would be very cool, although my biggest issue is that I want to take a stab at designing this archetype, and I didn't design the a5e Warlock

If that was going to be the case, I would still want Warlocks to have access to at least one other tradition for the sake of versatility. Yet at the same time, it would feel kind of odd to give an archetype its own tradition with no other way to access it other than taking this one archetype. I think I would rather have the archetype features interact with the maneuvers in unique ways that give them that dark magic vibe. The O5e Arcane Trickster's bonuses to Mage Hand are a fun example going in the opposite direction.

There's no reason no other class could access it. If a new maneuver tradition is ever published, it would just need to say which classes add it to their list. That said, I still get your goal of making an archetype do cool things with existing traditions.

 

[Steampunkette]

There's no reason no other class could access it. If a new maneuver tradition is ever published, it would just need to say which classes add it to their list. That said, I still get your goal of making an archetype do cool things with existing traditions.

There'd probably also be other ways to access such a rare and interesting combat tradition...

Like maybe a secret order of cultists who guard dark magic relics from crusading paladins bent on destroying dark magic.

Or tomes of forbidden martial techniques those same paladins might seek to burn...